Weddings If I Was A Wedding DJ

[soundinmotiondj]

By the way in Post #19, based on the reflection from the mirror, I do see a way that one of the Tripods/Speaker could have been separated. That chair could have been moved and everything on the left of it could have been shifted over to occupy that space and therefore you will end up with space farther to your left.

To the left was one chair and then 32ft of buffet tables (four 8ft tables). After that was a small space and the cake tables...and there was a desire by the client not to have any PA gear in the background of the cake tables for pictures. Life is sometimes full of hard choices.

To minimize destructive interference point sources of sound should be either touching or separated by more than two wavelengths (which is 22.6ft at 100Hz). In the case of tops, the "best" arrangement is a vertical array - and those cabinets can be arrayed. Any side-by-side arrangement of tops should be cross-firing to minimize the distance between the centers of the radiating plane....and this is what was done. Since I have experimented with this arrangement (both modeling with MAPP and experiments with those actual cabinets), I was able to place speakers in that manner with confidence.

The effect of the cross-firing arrangement offers several benefits over a "straight" or "splayed outward" arrangement. In particular, the horizontal dispersion is greatly improved as a trade off for lower on-axis SPL (which lessens the "zone of death" in front of the speakers). Overall, cross-firing provides a noticeably more even near-field response, for anyone who is within 50ft of the speakers. In addition, the cross-firing arrangement will also improve the "low end" response below about 150Hz (by keeping the centers of the radiating plane less than 1/4 wavelength apart to minimize the nulls). Depending on where the system is crossed to the subs, that can be very helpful. If you have not previously setup tops like that....try it. I think you will be happy with the results. This will give you another tool in your toolbox.

 

[ahoustondj]

Thanks but no thanks! I don't have issues like that because I am proactive when I do a site visit to discuss setup. They were very unreasonable to leave you such a small space. Now a precedent may have been set, the Venue may expect the next DJ coming along to squeeze in that same corner. No thank you!

BTW where have you been all this time? LTNS

 

[ittigger]

In a perfect world Canute, your thoughts (which is what many do) would work each and every time. Reality dictates otherwise at times.

Mike, by and large my clients don't care and they trust my judgement. I have come to the conclusion that most DJs do not ask for what they want out of fear of a repercussion. If one pleads their case in a sensible manner, common sense will prevail. Frankly speaking, I do not see the Venues doing to the bands what they do to DJs, That shows how much regard they have for DJs.

You assume way too much if you assume every one (to include venues, clients and others) has and uses common sense, even when one pleads their case. What is common sense to you, I and others here - because of what we do - is not so common to people that do not do what we do - regardless of your effort to 'educate' them or your effort to plead and / or compromise.

I understand your aim, but your not aiming at the proper target.

 

[Randy A]

As I suspected.....troll thread. Hope it fills your ego to THINK you're far more superiority to the rest of us.

*yawn*

 

[Ausumm]

Thanks for posting the pic. I would have dragged both trees nearer to the middle and put the Tripods/speakers on the outside and towards the wall instead of up front.. It would have lent itself to a cleaner look.

If your speakers are on the outside of the trees, facing the dance floor, and against the wall...
then the tree is blocking the sound.

 

[ahoustondj]

If your speakers are on the outside of the trees, facing the dance floor, and against the wall...
then the tree is blocking the sound.

Don't take things literally! Towards the wall on a tripod would bring the speakers on the same plane as the Christmas tree.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

I think Mix is the only one who regularly runs into space challenges and the Bose L1 is probably not a good fit.

I can't win for losing. I just saw this and I won't post a thing. No my bad I will. Most don't know what is a good or bad setup and all most will care is if the DJ is playing the right music and does it sound good. Period! Most who come to a wedding are not DJ's and don't know a thing as to any of this and could care less.

Some of us care because this is our passion. Some don't realize the importance of a good clean setup. I used to be one of those DJ's before I joined these forums.

 

[DJCC]

I can't win for losing. I just saw this and I won't post a thing. No my bad I will. Most don't know what is a good or bad setup and all most will care is if the DJ is playing the right music and does it sound good. Period! Most who come to a wedding are not DJ's and don't know a thing as to any of this and could care less.

Some of us care because this is our passion. Some don't realize the importance of a good clean setup. I used to be one of those DJ's before I joined these forums.

Are you talking about a set up like this?

 

[steve149]

I can't win for losing. I just saw this and I won't post a thing. No my bad I will. Most don't know what is a good or bad setup and all most will care is if the DJ is playing the right music and does it sound good. Period! Most who come to a wedding are not DJ's and don't know a thing as to any of this and could care less.

Some of us care because this is our passion. Some don't realize the importance of a good clean setup. I used to be one of those DJ's before I joined these forums.

Mix .. it was only directed at you since you seem to post about speakers that get put on top of ice machines (or something like that) or on the floor .. since space was limited. Your always seem to mention space challenges, and while the L1 is a very nice looking system, it does not "clean up" the rest of one's setup. And if you can't get the needed space to set things a pair up properly, the L1 still isn't going to be the answer.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Mix .. it was only directed at you since you seem to post about speakers that get put on top of ice machines (or something like that) or on the floor .. since space was limited. Your always seem to mention space challenges, and while the L1 is a very nice looking system, it does not "clean up" the rest of one's setup. And if you can't get the needed space to set things a pair up properly, the L1 still isn't going to be the answer.

Since you brought that up here it goes. When such space has been limited is when I've played in this certain particular bar in Orange, NJ. I played there last Saturday. This is a very small place and the place can get very crowded. There really is no dance floor. It's just a spot where there are no tables and trust me there isn't much room from where the people dance to the stage where i setup my controller with case.

So what I do is put one speaker out in front of the stage and the other sits off under the jukebox. Or at least near it. trust me the setup like that is fine in that place. One day when I have time and the place is first opening up I will take pictures so you all can get an ideal of what I'm talking about. Now what the DJ who plays there regularly on Saturday does is he brings in 1 JBL sub with 2 EON's and a speaker sitting on stage. He puts one EON on a pole for the sub and the other one he puts on top of the air conditioner. What he does works great for me and when I'm there what I do works great for me.

Now the pay is $150.00 and I personally don't see myself bringing in a sub for that money when the 2 tops will do nicely Maybe to please you all the next time I play there I just might bring one sub for the hell of it. Will that make you all happy?

 

[DJ Wes]

Maybe it will make the people who have to listen to it happy. Personally, I won't even get out of bed for a $150 gig.

 

[Jeff Romard]

So what I do is put one speaker out in front of the stage and the other sits off under the jukebox. Or at least near it. trust me the setup like that is fine in that place. One day when I have time and the place is first opening up I will take pictures so you all can get an ideal of what I'm talking about. Now what the DJ who plays there regularly on Saturday does is he brings in 1 JBL sub with 2 EON's and a speaker sitting on stage. He puts one EON on a pole for the sub and the other one he puts on top of the air conditioner. What he does works great for me and when I'm there what I do works great for me.

Mix here you go this is how sound travels http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/01/sound-waves.html this is why one speaker on a stand and another under a table or Jukebox or on top of a taxi in the parking lot or wherever you decide to stick it for whatever reason doesn't work. Using that method you might as well go with one speaker it would be a marked improvement

 

[ahoustondj]

Mix here you go this is how sound travels http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/01/sound-waves.html this is why one speaker on a stand and another under a table or Jukebox or on top of a taxi in the parking lot or wherever you decide to stick it for whatever reason doesn't work. Using that method you might as well go with one speaker it would be a marked improvement

Oh don't tell him to go with one speaker! He may have things configured to stereo and can you imagine the sound that would be missing if he only used one speaker! Yikes!!!

- - - Updated - - -

Since you brought that up here it goes. When such space has been limited is when I've played in this certain particular bar in Orange, NJ. I played there last Saturday. This is a very small place and the place can get very crowded. There really is no dance floor. It's just a spot where there are no tables and trust me there isn't much room from where the people dance to the stage where i setup my controller with case.

So what I do is put one speaker out in front of the stage and the other sits off under the jukebox. Or at least near it. trust me the setup like that is fine in that place. One day when I have time and the place is first opening up I will take pictures so you all can get an ideal of what I'm talking about. Now what the DJ who plays there regularly on Saturday does is he brings in 1 JBL sub with 2 EON's and a speaker sitting on stage. He puts one EON on a pole for the sub and the other one he puts on top of the air conditioner. What he does works great for me and when I'm there what I do works great for me.

Now the pay is $150.00 and I personally don't see myself bringing in a sub for that money when the 2 tops will do nicely Maybe to please you all the next time I play there I just might bring one sub for the hell of it. Will that make you all happy?

If you do not have your mains or tops above peoples heads 6' at least then you are probably going to lose sound when people start dancing or standing in front of the speaker.
I have experienced that the higher up you go the less volume you need and the farther and better the sound travels. It made a big difference to me when I started using Lighting Stands on which to put my tops.
Below 6' and you are projecting sound to peoples faces. On the floor, you are playing sound for people's kneecaps!

 

[SoftJock Rick]

Oh don't tell him to go with one speaker! He may have things configured to stereo and can you imagine the sound that would be missing if he only used one speaker! Yikes!!!

-
If you do not have your mains or tops above peoples heads 6' at least then you are probably going to lose sound when people start dancing or standing in front of the speaker.

I would disagree with that. I keep my speakers on the floor, angeld up to both corners of the room. It gives you more coverage through out the room, and it's a more mellow sound.

A couple pieces of 2x4s, can do amazing things with the sound quality, and dispersion. I've tested them pointing direct at the ceiling. but that doesn't sound as good as hitting the corners.

 

[steve149]

I'll go with Canute's take .. the higher, the better, though you will need something to angle the speaker down, as most speakers don't have a wide vertical dispersion angle and putting them high might miss coverage over the dance floor. My speakers (JBL PRX) have two stand receptacles, 1 at a slight tilt, and I know the QSC speakers have an adjustable mount. I believe K&M makes a tilting adapter and there is some others available.

Because bodies tend to absorb high frequencies, putting them on the floor, even angled up, assuming you have a dance floor, will tend to make the sound pretty muffled and tiring to listen to. Without dancers, it might be ok.

 

[ahoustondj]

Some facts on the subject: http://www.astralsound.com/vertical_pattern.htm

The BT-12: http://www.bt-12.com/index.php


Other Tilting Adapters: K&M 19672



K&M 19674

 

[SoftJock Rick]

Because bodies tend to absorb high frequencies, putting them on the floor, even angled up, assuming you have a dance floor, will tend to make the sound pretty muffled and tiring to listen to. Without dancers, it might be ok.

Try it some time -- a couple 2x4's under the speakers angles the waves up to the corners of the room -- then they bounce back behind the crowd. It helps to paint the 2x4's the same color as your speakers.

I don't use plastic speakers -- only minimum 3/4" plywood or hardwood.

You have to experiment with this stuff, and not just look a at web link that somebody who does 3 gigs a year at a nudist club.

 

[steve149]

Try it some time -- a couple 2x4's under the speakers angles the waves up to the corners of the room -- then they bounce back behind the crowd. It helps to paint the 2x4's the same color as your speakers.

I don't use plastic speakers -- only minimum 3/4" plywood or hardwood.

You have to experiment with this stuff, and not just look a at web link that somebody who does 3 gigs a year at a nudist club.

Again, for purely listening, it will probably work .. not much different than some home setups.

When you have dancing fools on the floor, you're still going to have much of the mid/highs absorbed by their bodies, so people behind them won't get what I would consider a useable sound.

So I guess it depends on the use.

 

[DJ Wes]

I believe the point is to angle the speakers downward, not upward. And to have them above the crowds head (i.e. on speaker stands).

 

[SoftJock Rick]

Again, for purely listening, it will probably work .. not much different than some home setups.

When you have dancing fools on the floor, you're still going to have much of the mid/highs absorbed by their bodies, so people behind them won't get what I would consider a useable sound.

So I guess it depends on the use.

I'll give you your take on that -- but I still disagree.

At home, I sit about 8' in front of the speakers, quietly in a chair.

At a gig, I want the engulfing effect. Smooth and cool. It's not harsh on the ears. I've mentioned many times before, I couldn't care less if the dance floor is filled. If people are smiling, toe tapping, and having good conversation -- I'm good.